The present invention is directed toward a case for carrying a portable electronic device and more particularly, toward a case which is adjustable so as fit virtually any type of portable electronic device.
The use of portable electronic devices such as palm pilots, personal digital assistants, and in particular, cellular telephones has become quite widespread today. This is in part due to the convenience of carrying such devices. For example, the size of most cellular phones makes them easy to transport and allows a person to communicate from virtually anywhere. A problem occurs, however, with how to transport or carry the phone. That is, it is burdensome to have to hold the phone in one""s hands. A further problem occurs when the user of the phone holds it in that the phone is frequently misplaced or forgotten. Furthermore, they often take up too much room in or are difficult to retrieve from a purse, glove box, or briefcase.
Holders have been developed which allow a person to carry a phone with him or her without having to actually hold the phone in his or her hand while the phone is not in use. For example, the phone may be carried by users on their person. Yet, while some phones are quite small, they are not comfortably carried within a pocket. To solve this problem, holsters have been developed which allow the phone to be attached to a person""s belt or personal belongings, such as a purse or briefcase. Many of these holsters, however, are not easily removable from the belt, purse, or briefcase.
Another drawback of the many of the above-mentioned holders is that the holders cannot be adjusted to accommodate a wide variety of cellular phones, as the phones can vary greatly in size. Even the size of the antenna or where the antenna is located on the phone may vary greatly from phone to phone. Therefore, a need exists for a cellular phone case or holder which accommodates a wide variety of cellular phones.
The present invention is designed to overcome the deficiencies of the prior art discussed above. It is an object of the present invention to provide a case for a portable electronic device which will fit virtually any type of portable device.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a case for a cellular phone which allows the phone to be recharged without having to take the phone out of its case.
In accordance with the illustrative embodiments demonstrating features and advantages of the present invention, there is provided a case for a portable electronic device which includes a body portion having a front panel, a rear panel, two side panels, and two bottom straps. The body portion has a cavity formed by the interior surfaces of the front, rear, and side panels. The cavity has a generally open top end and a generally open bottom end. A top flap is releasably secured to the body portion within the cavity and generally covers the open top end of the cavity. A bottom flap is attached to and extends downwardly from the body portion. In order to cover the open bottom end of the cavity, the bottom flap is folded over the open end and releasably secured to the rear panel of the body portion. The top flap is releasably attached to the body portion within the cavity via hook and loop type fasteners. The top flap extends upwardly from the body portion. When it is desired to cover the top open end of the cavity, the top flap is folded over the cavity and secured to the front panel of the body portion. The top flap may be adjusted so as to accommodate various types of portable devices. Means for securing the top flap within the cavity are attached to the interior surface of the rear panel. The top end of the cavity may be partially open when the top flap is secured to the front panel in order to accommodate the antenna of various types of electronic devices, such as a cellular phone. Also, the exterior surface of the rear panel has means for securing the case to a person""s clothing, personal belongings, or the like.
Other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof taken in conjunction with the drawings.